Politics: No, I will not shut up about mine.

Did you know celebrities shouldn’t talk about politics? Mark Wahlberg says so. Apparently, when you have fame, you are no longer a person with views that can be shared. Political discussions are a safe space reserved only for the non-famous.

In case it’s not clear, that’s bullshit.

The presidential election was undoubtedly one of the more contentious in recent years. It was a downright downer at the end of an already shitty year—as discussed previously, 2016 sucked balls. A lot of us—myself included—were hoping that the period following the election would see a return of civility. A lot of us—myself included—assumed that Hillary Clinton would be our president.

In case you’ve been living under a rock, no, that didn’t happen.

Instead we elected a man who completely and thoroughly embodies everything conservatism has been trying to say it’s not. He’s a racist, a bigot, an adulterer, a predator, a liar, and a conman who doesn’t know jack about how the country actually works, as we’ve seen in recent weeks. 45 has only just learned that checks and balances are a thing. He’s dangerous and damaging, and he’s excited people who proudly hate and would eliminate other people if they could. Also, he might well be a traitor, as we’ve learned from the leaks in the FBI and CIA regarding Russia’s involvement with the election.

Oops.

See, I messed up there. I’ve learned over recent weeks that, like actors, authors should keep their politics to themselves.

Why?

Because I might turn off readers.

Okay. Well, I have a paranormal series in which Lucifer and Jehovah are friends who had a disagreement about the way Hell should be run. See, Jehovah thought that all bad people should burn forever. Lucifer thought that burning forever is excessive and cruel.

She blinked slowly and looked at him. “For me, it’s home. But you’re not asking for me.”

He shook his head.

“It’s what you think it is. Torture in its rawest, ugliest form. The damned are shuffled into the Lake of Fire, where they die a thousand horrible deaths from here until eternity.” She shuddered. “Where I live—where all the Sins live—we can barely hear them. It’s a world unto itself, Hell. Like Heaven is, I guess, though I’m not on that invite list. Our neighborhood, the Bells…we’re close enough to be on hand if needed, but far enough not to see it every day. I used to go see them, the damned, when I was younger.” Invidia’s lip trembled, and she exhaled. “I thought I could help them. But you can’t. They’re dead, and when they’re there, it’s because they made their choice here.”

“Seems almost cruel, doesn’t it?” Roman mused.

“It is cruel,” Invidia said, her tone hot. “Don’t get me wrong, these are not nice people. Or weren’t, whenever they were alive. But whatever earthly crimes you can commit doesn’t justify this sort of eternal torture. Even the evilest human asshole barely deserves three minutes.” She paused, then barked a laugh. “Even those who seem to relish the idea of their enemies burning. I don’t get that, I don’t. When I hear a human rejoice the death of another, and you often do if you’re around them enough, you’ll almost always get some comment or the like celebrating that human’s eternal sentence. To wish Hell on anyone is…”

“Cruel,” he supplied. It was as good a word as any.

Invidia nodded. “On some level, they don’t know what they’re saying. Humans don’t know Hell—not like I do. They can’t grasp…but some of them, I think they like it. Like the thought of their earthly enemies being tortured forever. And even those assholes don’t deserve the pit. All they deserve is a grand tour—to see what it is to be tortured like that up close. Anyone who could still wish that on someone…” She broke off.

Doesn’t sound like something the pro-fire and brimstone crowd would like, does it?

And this? This isn’t going to stop. In another book, I made God a black woman. In the Pride & Prejudice modernization I’m writing, feminism, sex-positivity, and racism will be explored. In the next Sinners & Saints book, two of the Seven Deadly Sins go to see a play called The Nazarene. Three guesses what it’s about.

What’s the point? The point is I’m always, always, always going to turn someone off my writing by, well, writing it. And I’m going to guess that anyone who is offended by what I write is more likely than not to be on the conservative end of the political spectrum.

If anything, I hope that people see my political posts for the very fact that it’ll help them learn whether or not I’m the type of author they should read. I’d rather the people who read my work actually enjoy themselves.

So by all means, if this offends you, you aren’t my reader.

And no, as an author, I will not shut up. I am a small cog in the wheel, but my cog is going to be there whether or not I’m writing stories. Everyone is allowed to speak their minds about politics, no matter their profession, or how famous they are.

All of this is a part of my brand. If you don’t find out by following me on Facebook or Twitter, I guarantee you’ll find out once you pick up one of my books.

So, let the record show:

#BlackLivesMatter

To even discuss a Muslim ban is the very definition of un-American

We should build bridges, not walls

The Women’s March was an inspiration

Same-sex marriage is a human right

I am pro-choice and I vote

Immigrants are the backbone of the nation

Church and state should always be separate

The national anthem can be sung in any goddamn language

And a thousand other things.

If we’re on the opposite of the political or religious spectrum, you might not be my audience. By all means, read if you want to, but don’t say you weren’t warned.